Christopher D.

Washington, DC

Mathematician and Programmer

Christopher offers online lessons

Christopher is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.

If you’re interested in online lessons, message Christopher to get started.

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University of the District of Columbia

Mathematics

Education

University of the District of Columbia (Mathematics)

About Christopher

I'm an undergraduate studying Mathematics and Computer Science at UDC, and I also have an associates degree in ComputerScience. Moreover, I have experience tutoring my peers from when I was in high school and for a few months during my first semester of college when I helped teach a high school AP Computer Science class; it was a very rewarding experience. This is along with the last year, or so, of tutoring I've done professionally though WyzAnt. Finally, I have continued to help my peers in a less official capacity as I've continued my own education.

I love to learn new things and always ask questions when doing so. I find it personally important to reach a true understanding of whatever I'm trying to learn, and therefore I find it hard to accept new things without that understanding. I believe that when teaching, it is my responsibility to find a way to communicate to the student this deeper understanding and not let them just "accept" a fact or learn too mechanically. Learning, not just doing, in any subject or area of life, is a form of personal growth; it allows us to look at the world in new ways, reevaluate our beliefs, and form connections which ultimately lead to new inventive ideas.I'm an undergraduate studying Mathematics and Computer Science at UDC, and I also have an associates degree in Computer…Read more

Policies

Travel Radius

Christopher offers online lessons

Christopher is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.

If you’re interested in online lessons, message Christopher to get started.

"Highly Talented Tutor"

- Ryan, Rockville, MD on 1/26/16

Christopher is indeed one of the top tutors on WyzAnt. I am so grateful to work with him and can't say enough about his deep knowledge in Math and Java. Everything I have asked, he handles with ease. Great to work with, very good communicator and will continue to learn from him as much as I can. "thanks!!!”

Christopher replied on 1/27/2016

Thank you for the kind words. You are very welcome!

"His knowledge of Java ptogrming"

- ASSEFA, Alexandria, VA on 2/18/16

He is a very patient and knowledgable person. I really like his excitement to make me excellent at Java ptograming. He is excellent in programming. He taught me both the basics of Java and advanced level. He helped me understand and solve my assignments.

"Exactly what I needed"

- Mark, Burke, VA on 2/15/16

He told me up front that he might not have the exact skills for what I was working on but he'd work with me to get through what I needed to do. Everything went great and I highly recommend him.

Christopher replied on 2/16/2016

Thank you. I'm just glad I could help.

"Excellent lesson"

- Rochell, Brooklyn, MD on 12/4/15

Christopher is very knowledgeable in HTML. He was very helpful I would most definitely recommend him to students and friends.

"Exceptionally patient and caring."

- Sole, Washington, DC on 11/13/15

Chris has an incredible amount of patience with our son. He knows how to get him to work and reward him as well with a few minutes of games when things become intense. He is very methodical and extremely patient and kind. Highly recommended...

"Perfect Lecture"

- Eric, Washington, DC on 9/22/15

I learned C in his lesson. He is very clear at what he is teaching and it was really helpful! Thanks Chris.

"Code Suddenly Makes Sense!"

- Ben, Haymarket, VA on 3/12/15

I met with Chris for several hours last week and he was very patient in explaining the process of how the code worked. He explained the material in a way that gave me practice but did not have me dwell too long on my errors. He was extremely accommodating, helpful and I highly recommend using him as a tutor!

"Very Patient, Caring, and Responsive"

- Yasmine, Potomac, MD on 9/24/14

Chris is a very patient and knowledgeable instructor. He cares about teaching and helping out my sons in any way he can. He is very quick to respond to text and email. He is passionate about Math and likes to teach it.

"Excellent!!"

- John, Bethesda, MD on 12/30/13

My money is well spent. He provides real value added lessons. He is both knowledgeable and patient. I am extremely happy with the input and my progress. Thanks.

"Excellent tutor!"

- Jef, Derwood, MD on 2/1/13

Chris understands programming thoroughly and, at least as important, is able to explain and walk through difficult topics to make them more clear for a beginner like myself.

"Excellent lesson"

- Christine, Hyattsville, MD on 12/17/12

Excellent lesson: reliable, great tutoring sessions, very knowledgeable about subject matter, i.e., Algebra 2. Knowledgeable about subject matter, will use him again for different subjects if necessary.

"Very flexible"

- Anna, Bethesda, MD on 11/14/12

Chris is an excellent tutor. Very flexible and willing to accommodate our changing schedules. Will come out regardless of how late your request or the lateness of the hour. Our teenage sons, though they still have a ways to go in getting to enjoy math the way Chris does, are both doing better in math as a result of Chris' efforts.

"Very good tutor"

- Pam, Bethesda, MD on 10/15/12

I really enjoy his session. What ever your level of understanding is, he will work with you until you get it. For sure I'll contact him again.

"Great tutor"

- Judith, Bethesda, MD on 9/22/12

Chris is a great tutor. Very smart and patient. He encourages his students to think through the problems for themselves, and provides background information on why and how certain classes, methods, and operators are being used.

"Flexibility in Availability was a Plus"

- John, Bethesda, MD on 9/18/12

Even without a car, Christopher made it happen for my kids on short notice, on school nights and on the weekend. He was dependable and available.

Approved subjects

In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.

Algebra 1

I'm a junior undergraduate in mathematics. I have taken the standard undergraduate math courses (e.g. multi-variant calculus, ordinary differential equations, and linear algebra), and for over a year now have been taking higher courses in pure mathematics (e.g. number theory, set theory, group theory, and ring/field theory).

Many people feel a disconnect between what they learn in algebra, and the math they use in every day life (arithmetic). Algebra is all about abstraction, taking away the "real world"; However I don't think many are ever taught this concept. They are given word problems to try and make algebra "feel" more practical, but that's not what algebra is really about. The power of algebra comes from the abstraction; and, I feel that with a true understanding of what algebra really is, it can become a very beautiful subject.

Algebra 2

Trouble in algebra II can come from both a weak understanding of topics in algebra I and/or from a natural opposition to moving farther and farther away from reality. Abstraction is a hard concept to understand, and I believe the concept all together is ignored in many schools. We're taught this is algebra, and this is how you use it, but we're never taught why we use it, or what makes it so useful. "Why" is a very important question. I believe understanding the "whys" of math is the key to both using it effectively, and retaining the information.

C++

C++ is the language of choice in almost all of my college level classes. Also, a good solid understanding of C++ allowed me to better understand how computer programs work at a low level, and how other popular languages work as well.

Computer Programming

Computerprogramming is really broken down into two parts. Logic and syntax. The logic of programming is something that needs to be only learned once. The syntax however varies between languages, and must be learned for each one. I often consider myself a hobbyist programmer because most of my projects early on were personal and not professional. (I have written a few professional programs too, more recently.) This style had me jumping between many languages. (I have dabbled in over a dozen programming languages.) As such I got a good understanding of programming logic, and really learned the distinction between the logic and syntax. To understand how to program, you really need to understand the logic; any language can be used to facilitate that learning, and I'm willing to teach that logic through whatever programming language you may be interested in (as well as explain the ins and outs of the languages I know to help you make an informed choice.) I have an associates degree in Computer Science, and am fluent in C++ and Java. I have been programming since about 2008.

Computer Science

I'm also a undergraduate math major. Computerscience at its heart is really a math subject. To understanding why computers are the way they are, you need to remember that the inventors of the subject were mathematicians. Even in present day the bridge between math and computers science is still there, and with my background I can not only teach you to program, but hopefully explain some of the reasons programming and computers are the way they are.

General Computer

I've been playing with computers for years. About 6 years ago the interest moved into webpage development, and then (about 4 years ago) into programming. I now have an associates degree in computer science. Of course over this time I have picked up a fluency in not just how to use the computer, but what it is, and how it works.

HTML

HTML can be an interesting and relatively easy starting place to learning how computers work. HTML was, in a way, one of my first lessons in understanding how a computer communicates. It is often over looked as something relatively simple to experienced computer users, but to someone foreign to things like how the internet works, it can be a huge leap forward in understanding. HTML can be fun, and open the door to a whole virtual universe. Now this is often only true if it is learned correctly. One of the major problems with learning HTML is that it has changed so many times since its conception, and many browsers still support the older code. Code that sometimes horrifically violates present standards can pass through okay. While this can be great for a computer user, it can make learning how to write a fast and valid webpage a real nightmare, as well as extremely confuse someone who is new to the idea of communicating information to the computer in a truly unambiguous way.

Java

Java was the first programminglanguage I really got involved in. I feel it's currently my strongest language, and it's also the language I use for most of my personal programming projects. Java's cross-platform abilities make it a great choice for almost any kind of program (the main exception being game programming), and it was a great language for introducing me into the world of serious programming.

Linear Algebra

I'm a junior undergraduate in mathematics. I have taken the standard undergraduate math courses (e.g. multi-variant calculus, ordinary differential equations, and linear algebra), and for over a year now have been taking higher courses in pure mathematics (e.g. number theory, set theory, group theory, and ring/field theory).

Some aspects of linear algebra can be foreign and daunting. I think that with a better understanding of what abstraction in math means, it becomes easier to grasp really what linear algebra is. In doing so, linear algebra will feel much more natural, and no longer foreign.

Logic

The study and understanding of deductive logic has been crucial in my understanding of higher math (e.g. ring theory). I have also taken courses in college on logic (in general) towards both a math and computer science degree.

Prealgebra

A solid fundamental understanding of arithmetic is very important when moving away from the basic concepts we use every day, to the more abstract concepts of algebra. It's also just as important to learn the language of mathematics, so we are prepared to communicate the higher, more abstract concepts in algebra.

Web Design

I've been doing web design for about 6 years, and consider myself to know enough XHTML/HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, PHP, and other technologies to be able to write and maintain a professional website. I also take pride in writing websites that are W3C standard compliant.

Webpage design is (once you understand it) very fun. So much effort has been put into letting the "lay man" use the internet, both as a user browsing, and as a webmaster hosting. Building webpages in much easier to understand then say making an executable program (like a game, or even something simple like notepad.) But, nevertheless many people don't know where to start, or sometimes worse, they get conflicting information on what to do. There are even computer programs that will write the webpage's source code for you while you drag, drop, and type your webpage in. Even worse, many people don't know there's any other way to make a webpage. Although, these programs are cool if you want a page that is built fast and you don't really know how to do it any other way. They're not, however, going to let you into the virtual world of WWW, and many times it's just not as fun. I can teach you how to (with just notepad and some (online) references) write a webpage that looks just as good. If you want someone to teach you how to use Dreamweaver or FrontPage, that's not me. If you want to learn how to build a fast, and modern webpage, and then know how it works, why it works, and how to edit it... well then, let me teach you.

University of the District of Columbia

Mathematics

Education

University of the District of Columbia (Mathematics)

Highly Talented Tutor —
Christopher is indeed one of the top tutors on WyzAnt. I am so grateful to work with him and can't say enough about his deep knowledge in Math and Java. Everything I have asked, he handles with ease. Great to work with, very good communicator and will continue to learn from him as much as I can. "thanks!!!”
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